As George Ivory was introduced as the new men’s basketball coach at Mississippi Valley State on Thursday morning, screens above the court displayed an image from the Delta Devils’ first NCAA Tournament appearance in 1986.
The all-time program leader in assists, steals and minutes played, Ivory helped put MVSU on the map by nearly upsetting top-seeded Duke in the first round. Still, on the first full day of March Madness 36 years later, it's evident that loss doesn't sting any less for the 56-year-old Ivory.
“There was a play where I stole the ball from (6-foot-10 Duke forward) Danny Ferry; I was going to lay it up and they called a foul on me,” said Ivory, now starting his second head coaching stint in the SWAC after spending 13 seasons at Arkansas Pine-Bluff. “We see it sometimes and think that simple play made a difference. We led most of the way down to the end. It was a great experience for our university at the time. That’s one thing we’re going to try to get some more history of our team up in here.”
Ivory is tasked with restoring the winning tradition he worked to establish as a player in Itta Bena. It won’t be easy, but at least it appears there’s nowhere to go but up. The Delta Devils (2-26, 2-16 SWAC) didn’t win a single game at home this past season.
“Recruiting is going to be No. 1,” said Ivory, who mentioned he secured a commitment Wednesday from a promising Memphis recruit. “No. 2 is getting quality kids who can do academic work and have great backgrounds. We have beautiful facilities, we’re in a safe area and there’s a lot of things that kids can do in the area.”
Ivory repeatedly stressed academics as a priority. MVSU’s leading scorer, junior forward Robert Carpenter, missed the last two months of the season due to academic ineligibility.
“I’m trying to get a plan of how we’re going to make academics work,” Ivory said. “I think I missed that part of making sure they go to class and do what they’re supposed to do. It kept me on my Ps and Qs too.”
When Ivory and the severely undersized Delta Devils almost knocked off Coach K’s highly-touted Blue Devils — who ended up losing in the championship to Louisville — they did it by pushing the pace on offense and forcing turnovers on defense. Ivory will look for similar athletes who can run the floor as he attempts to build the next generation of MVSU hoopers.
“Up-tempo — we’re going to recruit kids that can get down the floor, press and just bring an exciting brand of basketball,” Ivory said of his style.
“Every year it’s going to be our goal to compete for a championship,” he added. “In the real world, sometimes there is patience, getting the right kids and everything. But our goal is to be competitive off the bat.”
- Contact Riley Overend at 662-581-7237 or roverend@gwcommonwealth.com.
